Ex Libris

Today I am happy to welcome to the blog Ophelia London, who is celebrating the release of her debut novel , the first book in her Perfect Kisses series, published by Entangled Publishing in their new sweet category romance line, Bliss. Since music and sports play an important role in , I  asked Ophelia to introduce to us the main characters of the novel through a song/sport. Ophelia, please take it away! :-)

Excuse me while I squeal. This is the best topic ever! I made it a point for music to play a big part in , since writing and music are my two passions. I’m so thrilled that you asked me to describe my main characters by picking a song and a sport that describes them. It’s almost too easy!

Tess

TESS

“A few times I’ve been around that track/so it’s not just gonna happen like that…”
“Hollaback Girl,” by Gwen Stefani

Tess is all girl, but she’s also a fighter. I could say the same thing about Gwen Stefani, especially when she busts out this song. It’s on my P@L soundtrack and I think it fits Tess’s feisty/feminine character—as well as a major theme of the story—to a T. I can totally see the lyrics of this song going through Tess’s mind, almost like a personal mantra. First of all, it’s got a stomping beat that totally gets you pumped up. It sounds like something you might hear at a pep rally. Tess needs to get pumped up about two things. 1) She needs her music program to be saved, way important! 2) Jack—the boy who broke her heart 15 years ago—is back in her life, but she cannot let him, or his amazing butt, pull her focus.

JACK

Jack

Jack is a bit more complicated. He thinks his theme song is “Foxy Lady” but it’s really Faith No More’s version of “Easy Like Sunday Morning.” The song that I think best describes his character is “The Last Worthless Evening,” by Don Henley:

“I see you around sometimes and my heart just melts/looking like if you had your wish you’d be somewhere else…”

Jack falls for Tess pretty quickly. Who wouldn’t? I made her so lovable. He doesn’t realize that it’s love right away, but he definitely can’t help feeling for her immediately and wanting to be around her. At the beginning of the story, every time Tess walks by, Jack is thinking the lines of this song, and he kind of wants to melt into a puddle at her feet. He doesn’t understand the pull that he feels toward her, he just knows that he wants to be with her.

“I know you're still afraid to rush into anything/but there're just so many summers babe and just so many springs…”

Mac

MAC

“In These Shoes” by Krista MacColl or anything from the early Alanis Morissette catalogue—the sassier, the better—those are the songs Mac can’t get enough of. She’s very fond of singing them in the shower. (As am I.)

Sports in books are fun too, and the right sport on a guy can be so sexy.

For Tess, she’s a runner. When it comes to an organized sport, she can spike a mean volleyball. And now, I think she might be willing to play a little one-on-one tackle football with Jack. :-)

Obviously, Jack plays football. When he was younger, he had some mad basketball skills, too. Pretty much anything with a ball, Jack can master. Yes, I went there.

Mac? Well, she’s not really into sports. Her legs and too short and her hands are too small. But, as you’ll see in ’s spin-off, SPEAKING OF LOVE, Mac is pretty good at tackling guys in the snow…

What is your favorite song from a soundtrack? And what do you consider the sexiest sport?

Ophelia London was born and raised among the redwood trees in beautiful northern California. Once she was fully educated, she decided to settle in Florida, but her car broke down in Texas and she's lived in Dallas ever since. A cupcake and treadmill aficionado (obviously those things are connected), she spends her time watching arthouse movies and impossibly trashy TV, while living vicariously through the characters in the books she writes. Ophelia is the author of , SPEAKING OF LOVE... and . Visit her at . But don't call when The Vampire Diaries is on.

Connect with Ophelia at her Blog / /  / Goodreads

Ophelia is hosting a big giveaway to celebrate the release of  and the prize is a brand new iPod loaded filled with the playlist inspired by the book!

To be entered just fill out the Rafflecopter form below:

Giveaway is open wordwide and ends on 1 November 2012!

Good Luck!